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Original poster

Boardmasters Festival - superspreader event!

305 replies

ineedaholidaynow · 23/08/2021 10:51

Did anyone go to this festival and not come down with COVID! Every local youngster who went to it seems to have contracted COVID, and I see it keeps getting mentioned on MN, and all posters can't be referring to the same youngsters.

Have other festivals been the same?

OP posts:
Angrymum22 · 23/08/2021 14:34

DS came back with it. He had just had his second vaccination and has recovered quickly. Due to multiple contacts over the last 2m this he has been in and out of self isolation.
I drove him back last Monday along with 2 other friends. Good news is that I have not come down with it. He has been quarantined in his room for the last 8 days.

Abraxan · 23/08/2021 14:39

DD went with two friends. All 19y.

DD - double vax, no health conditions - has tested negative on PCR and LFT during and since, no symptoms.

Friend 1 - single vax, complex health conditions but only just had first jab (has to be done in hospital) - again, negative for covid

Friend 2 - single vax, no health conditions - tested positive on Thursday (cam phone Monday). Heavy cold-like symptoms with high temp and a cough. Much better now.

Newquay already had the highest covid rates in England, before Boardmasters: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58257323

Abraxan · 23/08/2021 14:41

Oh, and none of his family have since tested positive, and neither did me or dh (he was in our car as we drove them from campsite to airport as they flew down.) All double vax.

Abraxan · 23/08/2021 14:43

We have Tramlines festival locally.
This is a 3 day festival but no camping.

I know that friends of friends went and many of the under 18s have tested positive, all unvaccinated.

Tramlines was apparently very lax in checking covid passes. DD did say they checked on entry and on Friday at Boardmasters and they were given a wristband. But the LFTs were unsupervised and its very easy to just click the negative box as there is no way to check.

NannyAndJohn · 23/08/2021 15:28

Pretty much squashes the government approved theory that big outdoor events are safe, doesn't it?

caughtinanet · 23/08/2021 15:41

@NannyAndJohn

Pretty much squashes the government approved theory that big outdoor events are safe, doesn't it?
I'd say we need more information before drawing any conclusions "outdoor event" obviousiy is a catch all for many different kinds of gatherings with all different kinds of behaviours.

It will be very interesting to find out more as there have been many many outdoor things happening this summer but afaik this is the only one that has come to public attention as being a superspreader event.

Not all outdoor events are equal and this is already clear from the events so far this summer

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/20/9000-covid-cases-linked-to-euro-2020-games-in-mass-events-scheme

DottyHarmer · 23/08/2021 15:48

Agree that there are outdoor events and outdoor events. I went to one and, guess what? I didn’t get covid. It was day only and only double jabbed were allowed (plus everyone was fairly ancient!)

Otoh a young person event probably involves much more close contact and overnighting at close quarters in tents - and very probably many of them only had one jab so far.

Madhairday · 23/08/2021 15:49

My friends DD came back with it and now looks like she's passed it on to my friend (but double vaxxed thankfully.)

Original poster
ineedaholidaynow · 23/08/2021 16:04

@DottyHarmer you don't have to be over 16 to go to Boardmasters, if you are happy enough to go with an adult over 21, so there will be likely quite a few young people having been there not even having had one jab

OP posts:
feesh · 23/08/2021 16:09

We went to Latitude and spent rather more of it than I was comfortable with absolutely rammed up against people in queues and crowds, I was sure we were going to catch it. But none of us did. I presume the outdoor nature of it was a big factor.

Soyouthought · 23/08/2021 16:10

Surely this was the governments aim all along. Get all the young together for herd immunity. A bit like a massive chicken pox party.

DottyHarmer · 23/08/2021 16:12

Yes, if people stay outdoors it’s largely ok. But sharing tents/convening in pubs etc not so covid friendly.

caughtinanet · 23/08/2021 16:53

@Soyouthought

Surely this was the governments aim all along. Get all the young together for herd immunity. A bit like a massive chicken pox party.
Well if it was (and I don't think that's the case) why would they base a strategy on a random festival in the South West that they could have no idea was going to even go ahead never mind end up with a large number of cases?

That doesn't sound very likely to me

cantkeepawayforever · 23/08/2021 17:04

Unfortunately, for 18 year olds about to go off to university, infection at Boardmasters or this coming weekend will delay their second vaccination, meaning that many will arrive at uni only partially protected and also still having to isolate for close contacts....

Very glad that DD didn’t go, and has just had her second vaccination.

HairyFloppins · 23/08/2021 17:08

My 19 year old is off to Leeds festival this weekend and I was putting together a few bits together for her, may need to add a hazmat suit to the shopping list.

She's had covid and two Modernas. Fingers crossed she comes back infection free.

sunblue · 23/08/2021 17:11

We have had a terrible week after DD returned from Boardmasters. Positive test and ill as are all her friends. Most travelled by coach and train which spread it around even more (and was so badly organised), mosh pits, camping etc. Testing was really based on trust.
And she wants to go again next year...!?

NannyAndJohn · 23/08/2021 17:13

@Soyouthought

Surely this was the governments aim all along. Get all the young together for herd immunity. A bit like a massive chicken pox party.
Yep. They purposefully lied to our children, knowing that the events were unsafe, to get them all infected.

I could weep for those who end up with Long Covid.

Northernsoullover · 23/08/2021 17:18

I have been looking at boardmasters clips on tiktok. Outdoors wouldn't have mattered with the scrums in the arenas. I hope they are all OK. There have been so many cases.

wintertravel1980 · 23/08/2021 17:20

My neighbours' teenage children both returned from Boardmasters. They didn't get Covid but then we are in London so the pool of susceptible population is much lower than in SW.

And yes, Boardmasters was not a "real" outdoor events. Lots of socialising in tents, vaping, sharing of beer bottles, etc... the things many of us did when we were 19.

shinynewapple21 · 23/08/2021 17:34

@NannyAndJohn

Pretty much squashes the government approved theory that big outdoor events are safe, doesn't it?

I would think there is a difference between adults sitting in designated seating area and teenagers crammed together in front of the stage then socialising together afterwards, sharing tents, drink bottles etc

Mostly my friends' DC in the 16-25 age group, and my own DC and their friends have already caught Covid through socialising as is normal for their age group .

cantkeepawayforever · 23/08/2021 17:37

Mostly my friends' DC in the 16-25 age group, and my own DC and their friends have already caught Covid through socialising as is normal for their age group

Yes, I would agree with this. DS caught it at university, DD in connection with an outing with a small group of friends (not sure how - possibly the bus - as all others were uninfected). DS had not been vaccinated at the time, DD had had 1 vaccination 10 days before.

Klee30 · 23/08/2021 17:43

I know people who went and are fine (so far). A (few friends and a couple family members went...) they were day visitors though rather than camping as live nearby and didn't use public transport to get there. Not sure if that makes a difference or not.

I've heard that there was a lack of hand sanitiser but people would take their own surely? Also a lack of hand washing facilities with water which there's no excuse for. Have heard tests weren't checked over. People faked lateral flows. Lateral flows are inaccurate anyway... those who were vaccinated didn't have to do a test.

I know we need to get back to normal but I feel that it shouldn't of gone ahead or at the very least been stricter with tests etc. I've heard the toilets were pure filth. I know that portable loos are never gonna be spotless but during a pandemic it's not good enough!

Hashtag1 · 23/08/2021 17:55

Every single teenager I know who went there came back with Covid. I know of 20+ kids with it (not yet vaccinated) In fact I only know one who did not get it but he had Covid last year.

CottageDwelling · 23/08/2021 17:58

@NannyAndJohn

Pretty much squashes the government approved theory that big outdoor events are safe, doesn't it?
Lots of sharing tents....but then you wouldn't know about people having fun.
CottageDwelling · 23/08/2021 17:59

@Hashtag1

Every single teenager I know who went there came back with Covid. I know of 20+ kids with it (not yet vaccinated) In fact I only know one who did not get it but he had Covid last year.
So? I'm guessing 99.9999% are fine afterwards..